Tag Archives: smells

I’m pretty impervious to bad odors, unlike my wife Sandy who has an ultrasensitive nose, not always a good thing on the road. In this case I accepted the mint along with the warning, and I was glad I did. The Chouwara Tannery is one of the main tourist sites in Fes, Morocco. It is a living, working piece of ancient history. The tannery has been processing sheep, goat, cow and camel hides since the 13th century. Hides are scraped, then soaked for long periods in cow urine and pigeon guano, resulting in extraordinarily soft, pliable pieces of leather. The leather goods that are produced are stunning. So is the odor. Imagine 800 years of dead hides soaking in urine and guano. Continue reading →